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FDA Warning
The FDA has just issued a warning to dog parents on the dangers of buying and feeding your dogs store bought bone treats. They say that the danger goes beyond the risk of buying regular bones- that the bones could actually kill your dog.
What exactly is the FDA talking about?
Bone treats are treats that are processed and packaged and sold at commercial stores, like Wal-Mart.
Here are some of the commercially-available bone treats that were listed as being dangerous:
*Ham bones
*Pork Femur Bones
*Rib Bones
*Smokey Knuckle Bones
The FDA did not list specific brands in their report, but it does note that it has received approx. 68 reports of pets that became ill after eating the “bone treat.”
The bone treats may say they are “dried through a smoking process” or “baked” on the package.
They may also contain ingredients such as:
*Preservatives
*Seasonings
*Smoke flavorings
Dr. Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian at the center for Veterinary Medicine for the FDA said, “Giving your dog a bone treat might lead to an unexpected trip to your veterinarian, a possible emergency surgery, or even death for your pet.”
So, please watch for these “bone treats” and DO NOT feed them to your pet. There are a lot of these advertised cheaply for “stocking stuffers” around Christmas time. They may even be put in a dog stocking… so be aware!!
So far, about 15 dogs have died after eating one of these bones.
Some of the symptoms in dogs that have eaten these bones include:
*Gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract)
*Choking
*Cuts and wounds in the dogs mouth or on the tonsils
*Vomiting
*Diarrhea
*Bleeding from the rectum
*Death
90 reports
The FDA has thus far received over 90 reports about these bones from pet owners and vets. There have also been reports about the bones being moldy or splintering when the dog chews on them.
Tips from the FDA on how to keep your dog safe:
*Chicken bones and other types of bones can cause injury to your dogs when chewed up. Be careful to keep platters out of reach when cooking and eating and keep trash cans that have bones in them out of reach of dogs.
*Talk to your vet to see what is appropriate for your dog. There are many SAFE products available for dogs to chew on.
Dr. Stamper also says, “We recommend supervising your dog with any chew toy or treat, especially one she hasn’t had before. And, if she “just isn’t acting right,” call your veterinarian right away!!
U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.
Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.
Until next time,
Love and pug kisses,
Candy
